This is a great little exploring/war game. The basic mechanics are simple and easy to learn, but the cards make for some fairly interesting game play. There is a nice mix of luck and strategy. And in the end you have made a nice map, which I always find satisfying.

Another really good game from Benno. I mounted all the pieces (Greeks & ships) to 1/2" counters to make them easier to manage. My only complaint about this game is I wish they would have made the tiles and pieces bigger. More of a 'full sized' effort would certainly make it easier to play. In the end this is just a really fun, quick game. I like a best of 3 series.

Played this many times over lunch hour with my buddies. Like the game, but too much based on the cards and can run long at the end. But a fun 2 player game. Played some more and like it more and more. Figured out how to use the cards properly.....

A great light wargame which blends card play, tile placement, and "supply line" strategy. Numerous replays reveals that it is just as easy to win through voyages if you have the right mix of cards for defending against attacks. While there is luck involved, this game is very well balanced

An OUTSTANDING game that is playable and addictive. Goes pretty fast and can have alot of good tension between players. Some rules are a little confusing, but the Q&A articles can help clarify them. Probably due to the translation of the rules from German.

Another favorite. I typically bring this game anywhere my girlfriend and I go because she loves this one too. We've played in just about every coffee house where I live and some in different countries too. I really go for the tile games that make neat pictures and maps.

Hellas was one of the top three "finds" of 2007. As much as I'd love a weekly game group that enjoys deep games, the truth is that I most often have opportunity to play 2-player games with my wife... and she does not prefer conquest-style games.

Hellas gave me a TASTE of conquest-style games in a format that my wife could enjoy... although not as much as me. I loved the theme (ancient Greece), I loved the feel of ancient conquest, I loved the exploration of new islands, and I *mostly* enjoyed the components. The lil' dudes kept falling over so I did something I rarely do... I defaced my components by gluing pennies to their base.

My wife did not enjoy the game quite as much as I did, but she enjoyed it enough that it can hit the table every now and then -- enough to scratch that "conquest itch".

Nice game of direct confrontation (attacks) and tile laying (exploration). I appreciate seeing the map grow into a layout which is always different and brings different situations.

The cards add surprises to the game, and it is nice to try to be prepared for them. They also sometimes work in delicious combos and sequences.

The rules are quite simple, with only a few exceptions. However, the way the God cards are played is sometimes ambiguous; but the BGG FAQ files solve lots of problems.

Attacks by your opponent are almost always possible, which creates an interesting tension.

Some players complain that the game drags and that it is hard to get 10 cities because of so much back and forth fighting. This is because sea travel is actually a very important part of the game: without enough sea travel, there are not enough cities to be conquered. This is yet another instance of a game whose rules do not contain enough advice about basic strategies.

Some players complain that the god cards have uneven powers. I'd argue that it is so easy to get god cards that a bad draw can be compensated quite easily.

There isn't as much tension as, say, in Samurai: actions feel less urgent.

Intense from the beginning on, because of the constant need for attack and defense (need for both players to expand and damage the opponent), and also for exploration, with the additional effect of getting stretched thin when getting closer to the victory condition of 10 cities.

Enjoyable randomness (thanks to the cards), with many ah-ah! and nooo! moments.

A nice mix of spatial considerations, of hand management, of risk management, of planning,…

Voyaging is my favorite part. Your ability to lay a new tile is not just luck of the draw, you need to look at the board, judge where you are likely to get a tile that fits and position your boats there to get a majority in that area.

Monitoring how many Ares and Zeus cards your opponent has in hand is critical when planning attacks.

Another neat thing about this game is that its very possible to claw your way back to the lead after falling behind.This is because everyone's production capacity remains the same throughout the game despite how many cities any one person controls. Also if you are down to 1 or 2 hexes you can power up quickly by grabbing some more ARES cards to defend yourself with.

Simple game mechanics, with some very subtle maneuvers required to win. The way the ships are used to control the waterways (you can only expand at a new tile placement location where you have the majority of ships on adjacent tiles) is "missed" by most beginning players. The majority of temples allows you to make 4 actions, rather than the normal 3 ... so battles for temple control is very important, also. Definite replay value, fun and challenging makes this one over an 8 rating.